Originally Posted by
PeoDeMIA
Thank you for a better answer, yet just like in the US, to which of the several different municipalities in which NRT is located does the law refer--City level, i.e. Narita City, probably not because Tokyo is permissible? Or is it the oddly shaped Prefecture level, well apparently not because Tokyo is in a different prefecture as I understand it?
However, as others have opined 'municipality' may well be up to the Immigration officer's individual discretion. I guess next time our arrival cards will read Narita Hilton.
I believe "municipality" is a translation of "shi, cho, son" (City, Town, Village). I doubt that "municipality" refers to a larger entity. However, even if "municipality" did refer to the next level of administrative region, Tokyo would still be outside of the area in which "in principle" a shore pass can be used. (Narita City is in Chiba prefecture, which is next to Tokyo - not part of Tokyo).
The location of the airport is not subject to the immigration officer's discretion. Whether to allow someone to enter the country with an itinerary that isn't entirely compatible with the guidelines is.